Ross Douthat's Quest For The Tragic

Perhaps one reason there is not much interest in exploring the
tragic side of our politics is that Nemesis is ever-elusive. The
ambition and pride of political leaders may lead to disaster, but the
men whose ambition and pride fueled the calamity escape relatively
unscathed. We have an abundance of hubris in our politics, and there
are more than enough sins that invite punishment, but unlike the famous
figures of tragedy our leaders never answer for what they have done.

It
is always “History” that is supposed to judge them. In the meantime,
they walk away, and often enough they head off to a comfortable
retirement. They remain unaccountable and surrounded by a small army of
revisionists just waiting to rehabilitate their reputations in a few
years’ time.

When that changes, perhaps we will have more complicated
storytelling that does not simply vilify the people responsible for a
great crime. However, since there will apparently be no accountability
for our leaders in the real world, we may have to settle for the
inadequate stories we have now.

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